FATHER'S DAY 2012

I LOVED MY FATHER SO MUCH.  I was most certainly a daddy's girl.  He was a man who took seriously taking care of his wife and kids and never once made it seem like it was too much or anything but pure joy to do.  My father Max Charles Fisher was a self made man.  He was an engineer for Southwestern Bell Telephone Company and he did not graduated college.  He loved sailing, tinkering with electronics.  He really loved sailing and his Snipe and Lighting sailboats were at the Lake Worth Sailing Club where he enjoyed his passion for sailing.  We were best pals and did so much together like hunting for resisters to use in his electronic tinkering.  He taught me to read the codes and dig in the bins to get the ones he needed for his projects.  He taught me morris code, how to sail, how to use a slide rule, how to drive, how to read graphs, how to love math/algebra, how to never say I can't do that because I was  girl, how to love, how to listen and make critical decisions, and live life to never look back and wonder...should I have?  My dad is always in my heart.  Gosh even after 45 years that he has been gone I still hear his voice and feel his hugs.  My dad ---- not enough words......Thank you God for  letting me be his daughter.

Baby Quilts Fun and Fast

Baby quilts are fun to make and boy quilts make use of those colors that speak soft but tough.  The left over squares are perfect for the accessories....blocks, pillows, toys.  This set is for a friend having a grandchild.  Grand mothers need things for their home too and I love to make a quilt they can throw on the floor and enjoy play time with that special grand.  This pattern is the Magic 9 Patch from Quilters Dream quilt shop in Colleyville, Texas.  See side bar for the link.  I love this pattern as it goes so fast and any colors work like they were made for each other.  The block and pillow pattern are those I just know from memory and can't even remember when I learned to make them.  I know my Mom taught me to make blocks and making pillows, well it is just four seams and stuffing.
Today two of my quilting friends and I are going for Girls Night Out in Granbury, Texas shopping and dinner.  I love these fun girl times as they are filled with laughter.  Everyone should  have good laughter in their life...so find your laughter today.

Knit Hats -- A Quick Gift and Fun to Knit

I think knitting hats are really the ultimate "instant" gratification.  Not "instant" in that they do not take time and they do not just knit up as fast as one ever imagines, but they do knit quickly and take not so much yarn and can use up those left overs that sit waiting to be appreciated.  My latest is a pattern bought on Ravelry.  Two -Way Beanie by Faina Goberstein.  I like its contemporary look and ease of pattern, while being no so fussy.  I really enjoyed this knit and will put another in my que for the right "left over" yarn.  

Summer is On The Way

I was thinking of how the spring turns into summer and flowers bring such joy in the time we renew and find beauty in all the colors.  Lavender plants from a trip to Washington State lifts by spirit and reminds me the beauty of flowers can be renewing and they can leave behind the remembrance of that beauty to carry us thorough winter.  Lavender oil brings the senses back to the time when the plants were in the fullness of the beauty, but then leaves for us all the remembrance that all the beauty never leaves as it manifests itself in all new and different forms.

Small Bag for Little Girl

A friend wanted a bag for a young girl in her church to carry colors and coloring book with other items to keep busy during church services.  This was a simple bag with the initial on the front pocket.  This type of quick project is always fun for me and I'm always surprised at how those who cannot sew believe this is impressive.  A great girl fabric and a couple of hours.  Fun and fabulous!

PILLOWCASES MAKE FOR FUN SEWING

I love to make things for my adopted class at MG Ellis Early Learning School.  They are bright and happy 4 yr. olds who are my pen pals.  With school only having a few days left, I wanted to give them something that would encourage them to read over the summer.  I made pillowcases for each student and sent three books about going to bed.  The letter I sent told them how I like to read before I go to bed and I hope they read everyday in the summer and maybe before they to bed and other times.

I use the pattern for the "hot dog" method and after doing enough by that method it goes fast....if I could only find someway to speed up the cutting.  Cutting is the slowest part of this whole sew, flip, sew, flip process.
  Hot Dog Case pattern

I love the end results and the best part is I only used material from by stash. OK I have a big stash!  I look at my stash now and it looks like not a dent was made in it.

My next venture is to make pillow cases for the Million Pillowcase challenge.
  Million Pillowcases Challenge   Join in and find how you can help.

Girl's Weekend Cooked Up

Two classes, much fun and I love all there is about the women of this family.  When I think of all that I have been blessed with and I can say it is tons, nothing compares to the blessing of the family I received from God.  I am so proud, in awe and amazed at the Godly women this family has.  Thanks Lynn, Meg and Aurora for your love as a wife, mother and dtr/dtr-in-laws.  Now the pics of the food and fun we had this year.  Girl's Weekend 2012

Fruit Tart from Sur La Table class

Chef Stephen Ortiz

Pastry going in for crepes

Cooking steak

Apple and Goat Cheese canape

Aprons!!

Cooking onions for canapes

Sur la Table peach crumble top tart

Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival

I am packing my bags for a weekend at the 39th Maryland Sheep and Wool festival with hubby.  I have had this on my list to go and see what this festival is all about.  I am excited to just be going.  Will fly into Baltimore, Maryland and go from there.  No plans except to go to the festival.  I have expectations of lots of sheep, lots of wool and lots of people who love sheep and wool.  Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival

More to come when pics can tell the story about this festival.

Girl's Weekend Aprons

It is girl's weekend coming up this week and the plans are coming together at last.  It was fun to think of what would be fun for Dtr, 2 Dtr-in-laws and myself while hopefully learning something. I chose cooking  and as cooking is one of those things I'm not really good at, but can do enough not to starve, this put me looking for cooking classes.  I checked all the usual places and it was not easy to find just something fun.  There are several places that on Saturday do the learn to use a knife class  or knifing skills.  Now I'm not brave enough to think I would come out of the class and not end up in the emergency room getting stitches or worse....Sur La Table won the day with a class on tarts and Central Market won the evening with appetizers.  I am so looking forward to this fun day and cooking with my wonderful girls.

It was time to think of goodie bags.  I got a really great deal @ www.stitchsteals.com on these super bags.  They are just perfect. Tote bag with another bag that has items for scrap booking.  I am filling with aprons I made...So much fun.  Pattern:K103 Ellie mae designs for Kwik SEW   only one did I do hand pleating, all the others I used the machine ruffler...Soooo much easier!  But over all, they were fun to make and I love how they turned out.

I am adding lots of other goodies to the bags so our girl's cooking weekend will be remembered.
 Bon Appetite

EASTER TRADITIONS

Families have traditions and Easter is a time where traditions are part of what I grew up with.  I grew up with a mother that loved to cook and was a Martha Stewart of her day especially at holiday time.  She would decorate, cook and bring the family together for celebrations.  Easter brought the infamous lamb cake.  The lamb cake mold would come down from the cabinet and be made ready to receive the pound cake mix mother would make from scratch.  The cream cheese icing and coconut were in the ready to decorate the lamb.  Eyes were either raisins, chocolate chips, M&Ms, red hots or whatever was in the cabinet that would work.  Mom passed this last year and the lamb mold passed to me.  It was put in the cabinet and I had not thought of it.  Easter coming I made my list of ToDos and the lamb cake comes to mind.  Who would make the lamb cake?  I know nothing of making cakes let alone one in a mold but it was now mine to keep the tradition of Easter...so, thank goodness for internet.  Yes, there is lots of information about the lamb cake mold, especially the antique cast iron mold from the 50s.  Wow, just think something in my family that long and here I am, the holder of the tradition.  Me, really? Me?  I gave it a try my way.  Boxed pound cake mix, canned icing, coconut colored with green sugar used on christmas cookies (that's a whole other story) and lots of prayer.  The results?  The bare lamb and the iced cake.  The cake enjoyed by all and so the tradition lives on.  It was a really good Easter, Praise God.

Almost scary..very alien

Very cute, Perfect